Catching up to TODAY!

Okay, so this is going to be a H U G E P O S T ! ! So I hope you have a comfy chair, your slippers, and a nice cup of tea or something, because this may take a while. First, from the tease of the last post, you may have figured out that pile of fabric was for a quilt type project. Well it was. A special request, special use, new invention blanket for my niece Maxie. We call it the Bumper Blanket. Here's the layout.

And here's how it turned out, with swim noodles for bumpers and even a carry strap to take to physical therapy, or Grandma's house!

And here's the satisfied customer!!

My next project is an ongoing project that will take all year! I decided to participate in CQJP 2015. That is the Crazy Quilting Journal Project 2015. You can see mine and others work throughout the year at http://cqjp2015.blogspot.com The purpose is to complete one crazy quilt piece that is at least 8x8 inches every month for the entire year.

Well I am not one to really make things too often that will not have some practical use. So I didn't want to make a wall hanging, and I knew I didn't want to make a journal book. So I decided to make a crazy quilt bear! I found a pattern I like at http://www.funkyfriendsfactory.com And this will probably take me thru the first 9 months of the year, after that I am thinking about some awesome pincushions. Here's the pattern in the "design phase":

And here is my completed January piece. This is going to be the body back of my bear.

I am also participating in an only beginners crazy quilt class which should take another month to complete. It is just one small block and I will post a picture when that is done! Of course I am still doing the Zentangle thing. So here's a few tangles for you!

Hope everyone has a Crafty Time!!! And since I am participating in a monthly project, the next update should be no more than 1 month away!!!

Catching Up AGAIN!

So I am not very good at keeping up with this blog thing… but I shall endeavor on.  Here's just a quick post of one of my summer projects.  Edwin's birthday present!  To say that my husband is "into" boxing would be an understatement.  And it is very hard to find boxing themes gifts.  So I made him one.

16 X 16 Artist Clayboard, Micron Pigma Pens, and Graphite

My niece's birthday was also in August.  She turned 11!  I made her a little jean purse and stuffed it with some embroidery supplies which she is starting to take an interest in.

I rather liked the sequined lining and the zebra pocket!!!  The handle was braided from the jean leg seams and some more sequin fabric.

And here are some tangle pieces from the summer, including a couple of "puzzle" pieces that were drawn with a  single string over several cards or cut card stock, and then worked up in the blind to each other.

 

  

Next post I will catch you up on the quilt I made for Maxie Grace!  Here's a sneak at the palette!

Catching Up, Part 1 of ??

Well you may have noticed, I haven't posted anything for a while.  A LONG WHILE!

That is not because I haven't been creating, but rather because my major project I wanted to keep under wraps just incase certain persons might visit here, and I didn't want to ruin the surprise.  But all that is over now and I have 4 months worth of updates to make!  So I will do them in batches, and will hopefully catch up before another month goes by!

So the reason I stopped posting is because I started working on something for my sister, Susan.  I was inspired by this ZIA

and I decided I wanted to do a Family Portrait of Susan's family.  So I asked her to trace everyones hands up to their elbows and send them to me without telling her what I had in mind :)

Here's what she sent.  I cut them and rearranged them trying to find a layout I like.  Then I test drove many patterns trying to find what I liked and thought worked together.  Most of the patterns I chose initially I was satisfied with right away.  But it took many many many tries, right up until the last minute, to find the right pattern for the smallest one, Maxie Grace.  And even at that point I changed my layout slightly by altering the directions of the parents hands.

Here is the end result!  

The Marke - Latham - Beirnes Family Portrait 

Life-sized on a 16 x 16 Artists Clay Board

This process took several months.  But I wasn't unproductive during that time.  I decided to do "Monograms" for each of the kids also.  Here they are:

These were all done on 8 X 8 Artist Clay Board.  Susan decided to "confiscate" them for now and display them as a group with the Family Portrait.  I am sure the kids will get to claim them later when they are older :)

Well thats a pretty long update.  More later!  Oh one more thing.  I did run out of time, and I still of my other sister Carol and her family their monograms, and something for my Mom too.  Also for my clone Kelli.  Those will all come soon, but right now (August) I am on a mad deadline to finish a project for my husbands birthday!  I think it might be late though :(

Easter Card

This week I finished shading the floral inspired tangle

In the process, I discovered a mistake in the background pattern between the two large swirls, and attempted to "fix" it.  So I have learned my lesson on that! As there are supposed to be no mistakes in Zentangle.  So I did a coverup with vines swirls there.  I would have liked it better in the end to have that area open highlighting the background even with the pattern error.  Nobody probably would have ever seen it but me and I had to be working every line with shadow to find it myself!  So there's a lesson for me.

I also bought some Crystal Clear spray acrylic sealer to seal in these pieces so that they hopefully will not smudge.  I "sealed" two other tangles, and this one in the book also.  Hopefully I haven't turned my book into a gluey mess!

Cut the fabric for several purse covers and put one together over the weekend.  No pictures.  I will post one when I get them all done together.  I have a pattern to make my own covers for my "Suite Skirt Purse" made by My Thirty-one.

So Wednesday I was at the grocery store picking up a few things, and was looking for an Easter Card for Edwin.  I found one, but then I recalled that Edwin commented more about the $$ spent on the last card I bought him (Valentines probably) than about the card.  So I decided to tangle him a card!  Tooke the scripture verse off the card I had picked out, and may even use the prose from inside on the back of the card as well.  Found a clip art to use as a stencil that I liked

Here are pictures of the process

Finished product

I do not know how much longer I will post pictures of work in progress, but I like it for now seeing how the piece develops.  Hope Edwin likes it!

Happy Easter All!

As you may know, I am always into some kind of crafty thing, often several at a time.  Started with drawing and painting when I was a child.  I learned sewing and embroidery in school. Done pencils, pastels, oils, and watercolors.   Hand beaded ornaments.  Hand-knotted jewelry.  Crochet.  Did cakes a couple years ago, but the fondant work has turned out to be too physically demanding.  Recently started Quilting, but more in a patchwork or a crazy quilting format.  I don't know if I will ever get into the fine detail piecing where you have to be exact or everything will not fit together, but I do have a beautiful Block of the Month kit that I found dirt cheap that I intend to do soon (may be my one and only!)  And most recently (2 weeks ago recently!) I have discovered Zentangle.  All the artsy fartsy stuff I get into seem to tie together in their skills and crossover in some way.  Perhaps someday I will do a Zentangle Crazy Quilt!   (That's highly likely!)

So I decided that the first project to document on this blog will be a tangle I have been working on this week.  You probably know I don't just dabble in something crafty, I  have to go in whole hog!  So here we go!

I was inspired by a YouTube video Black and Red Zendoodle by Tiffany Lovering (credit where credit is due!) Here is the link to that if it works   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRj3WPpvyc


So I wanted to remember how this progresses.

Initial layout. I did with pencil first, but mostly stayed with what I had drawn. Only exception is that there was a really ugly flower nested on the curve of the large swirl. Glad I ditched that. Especially as then it left opportunity for background fill. 

Little more than half way thru setting the background. Got confusing with the pattern layout alternating between Huggins and W2 or Rounded Huggins. 

Background layer in. Decided to save all shading to last. 

Filled big swirl. 

Fan filled. 

Ready for shading!!!

So that's where I am so far.  This was done over several days.   Hope this posts in a logical way, otherwise I will be editing!  Enjoy!